Blast near U.S. convoy, 2 IEDs defused in Babel

BABEL / IraqiNews.com: A U.S. convoy in al-Hilla came under attack with an improvised explosive device while the police defused two IEDs planted at power pylons in the northern part of the city on Thursday, a security source said. “An IED went off near a U.S. military convoy in al-Mahaweel district, (16 km) northern Hilla. Possible casualties or losses could not be known as the area of cordoned off and all roads leading to the blast site blocked,” the source told IraqiNews.com news agency. “The Iraqi police also found two IEDs, 13 kg each, placed at power pylons in the area of al-Hamiya, al-Iskandariya district, (50 km) northern Hilla,” he said, adding bomb squad personnel dismantled the two charges without incident. Hilla, the capital city of the province of Babel, lies 100 km south of Baghdad. AmR (P)/SR 72